Fastening device for jewelry



B. MESTEKIN FASTENING DEVICE FOR JEWELRY Oct. 18, 1938 Filed Feb. 10. 1953 2, Sheets-Sheet l fiermrd M Hum Oct. 18, 1938. B. MESTEKIN 2,133,901

FASTENING DEVICE FOR JEWELRY Filed Feb. 10. 1953 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented Oct. 18, 1938 APR 30-1940 1 UNITED STATES- TE; QFFPCE j 2,133,901 I; Y v I FASTENING DEVICElFORtJEWELRSfi'.

Bernard Mestekin, Wash ngtbn, U. GI,

Application February- 1 0, 1938;. Sefial':Noi..18'9,857f

6 Claims.

together -by-a clasp-provided withahook'or' spring snap; which fastening ordinarily snaps" into engagement with abody'or socket member; Such hooks and' snaps employed in connection with 1'0 jewelry areusua'llyof relatively light constructionand thereby'e'asily broken. In addition-,they' do not give= protection against accidental orsurreptitious uncouplingwf the connection, since the spring snaps and similarforms' of catches here'- lb toforeused' are easily'opened or detached.

Among'the object's ofthe' present" invention is" the production of a lock orfastening devicefor jewelry of the link'type', particularly for necklaces and bracelets; in which a simple" structure affording positive protection against. undesired uncoupling or segregation ofparts is provided;

Otherand further obj ects" and advantages will appear from the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that thismore detaileddescription'is given by way of illustration and explanation only and" not by wayof limitation, since-various changes therein may be made byth'ose skilled in the art without departing; from the scope and. spirit of the pres- 3 ent invention.

In connection with that more detailed'd'escription; there isshown" in' the accompanying drawings,-.in

Figure 1-, atop elevation of a fastening'device 35 in accordance'with the presentinvention; in

Figure 2-, a side-elevation of afastening device madein accordance with the. present invention;

Figure3, a fragmentary'view of the device of 40 Fig. l showing the lock in open positionyin 7;.in. j V

Figure 10, a top plan view showingithe cover in-open positiongginr Figure 4; a section on the line 4"--4 of" Fig.-

Figure 9, a vertical:sectionondine- 9.-9 of Fig.v

Figure 11; a top planview showing the cover removed-yin Figure 1229. vertical section on line l2'-I2-. of Fig. 10 in Figure 13,- atransverse section on line l3--I3 Iii ofJFig; 8; and-irr- Figure-14 aplanview: of the cover member.

In accordance withthe present invention as illustrated in the drawings, a lock or fastening device is utilized that i's positive in its action; but readily: utiliza'ble for detachment of connected parts, the device being of simple construction.

In accordance with: thepresent invention as illustratedi in: the drawings. a=body' member i of desirably: elongated configuration' is provided; one end having the usual link element 2 constituting a -li'nksoi a: chain or. neck laoeor braceletv 3, the link:element l being attached to the body member i by more on less permanentiast'ening means, and the body: member: l3 and link 2iremainp'referably: in: permanent attachment. For locking the other: end of the ropebr'chain. or: link element, the link 4 is adaptedtoa be' received in a: slot 5 formed in: thebody member l,.the. slot 5 extendingto one face 6 of the body member. i. In order't'o'hold th'e'linle l in position in the slot 5; a covenmember' T of? configuration desirably conforming withath'at of body I is carriednon. the. latterand adaptedfit'o reciprocate or'swivel' on the body member I, so that. the elongated. cover T may. be. swung to: the 7. open. position, as shown in Figure24;.in:orderptorexposethe open end of the slot l'nand. permitiremoval: of the link .4 there-- f-romrDesirably-the: cover member l'is spring pressedzin'xitsaseveralipositionsin order to assure more: positive action. and. for: this purpose a spring rmemben' Bicarriedon. or in the body member I; is? provided. In: the construction shown, the coverv I;- ma-ybevcar-riedon: or made integral with: a shaft. 9 mounted in: thesbodymember l; the latter: desirably; being hollow or recessed for purposes. herein. setiorthr Theshaftil .has an angular. shank,,such as.. "1,. which. may desirably be square in cross section, the furthermostwendi lfljof' the shaftfl'being reduced insize and round to extend into an opening l2 in the base of the body member I, and'to serveas a link or'swivel joint, a washer l'-3 feasingmovement of the cover T; and the other end oftherducedend l I being swaged over 'the' washer I 3, 'asindicated at M, 50;- in order to maintai'nthe-partsi'nposition within the hollow body'mer'nber I: The leaf spring 8 is desirably'placedwiththe sides 15 and Hia of the spring. engagingxagainstvthe: angular shank. I0;

opposite ends of the hollow body portion, the outer ends of the leaf spring being cut away, as shown at IT, to conform with the configuration of the slot 5, and to permit insertion of the link 4 in the slot 5.

A structure of the character described enables simple operation for attachment and detachment of the link 4 to give the closed bracelet, necklace or similar article. For this purpose, cover member 1 is swung into the open position, as illustrated in Figure 3, so that the slot 5 is made available for reception of the link 4. The latter is placed in position in the slot 5, and the cover I then returned to the closed position, so that the link is held in locked position. A structure of this character is simple to produce, and gives a positive lock of ornamental appearance desirably utilizable with jewelry. The lock or fastening device may be made of any desired configuration and from any desired material, and may vary in size and ornamentation, as well as configuration, to adapt it to any particular style of article of jewelry. There is no clasp or snap to become disengaged, and positive locking is accordingly secured against accidental detachment.

In the modified form of device shown in Figures 7-14, a form of lock or fastening device is illustrated, which is more desirably used by being placed transverse of the bracelet, necklace, or similar article, whereas the device of Figures 1 to 6 more desirably forms part of the longitudinal link development.

In accordance with the modified form of lock or fastening device illustrated in Figures. 7-14,

" there is shown a body member 2| of desirably elongated configuration placed transversely on a link element 22 constituting a link of a chain, or necklace or bracelet 23, which link element 22 may be attached permanently to the body mem- For locking the other end of the rope or chain or aggregate of links, the link 24 is provided having a cut-out portion 3| forming T- shaped projections 35, having reduced portions 36 adapted to be inserted into the slots 25 car- ;ri-ed in a wall 26 of the desirably hollow body portion 2|. When the reduced neck portions 36 of the link 24 are placed in the slots 25,. the enlarged head members 35 of the T-shaped projections serve to hold the link 24 in position. While two such T-shaped projections 35 are shown, together with two cooperating slots 25, it is apparent that the number of such T-shaped projections and corresponding slots may be changed to suit any particular set of circumstances, and one such projection and corresponding slot may be employed, or three or more may be utilized, but two give a satisfactory result for structures of the character illustrated. In order to prevent the link 24 from being detached undesirably when placed in position in the slot 25 'a cover member 21 is provided, desirably conforming in configuration with that of body member 2|, the cover being carried on the body 2| and adapted to reciprocate or swivel on said body member 2|, so that the elongated or other cover 21 may be swung to open and close positions as illustrated more particularly in Figures '7 and of the drawings. When the cover is in the closed position shown in Figure '7 with the link member 24 placed in position in the openings 25, the open ends of the openings 25 are closed by the cover member, so that the link cannot be detached. When the cover is moved to the open position shown in Figure 10, the T-shaped prober 2|.

' abling the links to be detached.

Desirably the cover member 21 is spring pressed in order to insure more positive action, and for this purpose a coil spring 28 is desirably provided and carried within the hollow body member 2| For this purpose, the cover 21 is provided with a shaft 29 to which it is desirably rigidly secured, so that the cover will reciprocate or move with movements of the shaft 29. The body 2| is provided with a housing 31 secured thereto and of hollow character to receive the coil spring 28. The housing 31 is attached to the body mem- An opening 39 in the upper face of the housing 31 permits the shaft 29 to extend therethrough, so that the coil spring 28 surrounds the shaft 29 at its shank portion 30, the latter being carried through a washer 33 and swaged at its end 34 to hold the parts in position. The base of the body member 2| is provided with an opening 32 in which the washer 33 may move.

Desirably the under face of the cover 21 is provided with shoulders 40 between which shoulders there is a recess 4| of a size adapted to receive the housing 31 when the cover is in closed position, and the shoulders 40 are within the hollow portion of the body member 2|. The shoulders 40 are desirably provided with bevelled edges 42, so that when the cover is moved from closed position to open position, the bevelled edges of the shoulders 40, 40 rise up on the edges of the body member 2| to compress the coil spring 28 within the housing 31 as particularly shown in Figure 12, so that the cover is held rigidly in position by the coiled spring 28. In the closed position, as particularly illustrated in section in Figure 13, the shoulders 40 drop down into the hollow body member, the recess 4| receiving the upper portion of the housing 3], the spring 28 urging the cover into such closed position and maintaining the parts rigidly against accidental displacement. Desirably the cover may be provided with knobs 43 to enable it to be moved readily from one position to the other.

The operation of this modified form of lock or fastening device will be obvious from the constructions described above, whereby it will be seen by either of the devices illustrating the invention of the present case, positive locking against accidental or surreptitious displacement of the link element is avoided.

Having thus set forth my invention, I claim:

1. A fastening device for necklaces, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry comprising a 1101- low, walled bodymember one wall of which is provided with an open ended slot extending to one face of said body member, a spring housed within said hollow body member, a cover member carried on said body member and reciprocable thereon to expose and close said slot means integral with said cover member in engagement and co-acting with the spring to retain the cover member either in the open or closed position.

2. A fastening device for necklaces, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry comprising a body member provided with an open ended slo-t extending to one face of said body member, a shaft mounted for rotation on said body member, said shaft having an angular shank, a leaf spring on said body member, side portions of the spring pressing againstthe angular shaft, a cover member for the body,"said cover being mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith to expose and close said slot.

3. A fastening device for necklaces, bracelets l6 and similar articles of jewelry comprising an elongated hollow body member provided with an open ended slot extending to one face of said body member, a shaft mounted for rotation on said body member, said shaft having an angular shank positioned within the hollow portion of the body member, a leaf spring within said hollow body member, side portions of the spring pressing against the angular shaft, an elongated cover member for the body, said cover being mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith to expose and close said slot.

4. A fastening device for necklaces, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry comprising a body member provided with an open ended slot extending to one face of said body member, a shaft mounted for rotation on said body member, a cover member mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith to open and close the open ended slot in said body member, a spring within the body member and means integral with said cover member in engagement and co-acting with the spring'to retain the cover member either in the open or closed position.

5. A fastening device for necklaces, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry comprising an elongated hollow body member provided with open ended slots extending to one face of said body member, a shaft mounted for rotation within the hollow portion of said body member, a

cover member mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith to open and close the hollow portion of the body member and thereby to close or open the slot in the face of said body member, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and within the hollow body member and means integral with said cover member in engagement and co-acting with the spring to retain the cover member either in the open or closed position.

6. A fastening device for necklaces, bracelets and similar articles of jewelry comprising an elongated hollow body member provided with open ended slots extending to one face of said body member, a shaft mounted for rotation within the hollow portion of said body member, a cover member mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith to open and close the hollow portion of the body member and thereby to close or open the slot in the face of said body member, said shaft having a shoulder plate at its lower end, the hollow body member having an apertured plate receiving said shaft and spaced above said shoulder plate, and a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and disposed between said plates, said cover member having cam-like portions on its lower face adapted to ride onto said apertured plate when the cover is moved from the closed to the open position.

BERNARD MESTEKIN. 

